House Republicans Denounce Obama’s Handling of Prisoner Exchange
Last edited Fri Dec 11, 2015, 02:15 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: NY Times
WASHINGTON After months of secret talks in early 2014 on a potential deal to swap five Taliban detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for a captive American soldier, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, an agreement seemed near that May. But the chief American negotiator sent an email to the Pentagon warning that any leak could scuttle it.
There is great concern all around about possible leaks, the negotiator, Stephen W. Preston, then the general counsel of the Pentagon, wrote, according to an email cited by a new report. This concern is exacerbated by the prospect of notification to our overseers in Congress.
Twenty-nine days later, Islamist militants in Afghanistan turned over Sergeant Bergdahl, and only then, less than three hours before the American military put the five Taliban detainees on a plane to Qatar, did the Pentagon tell congressional leaders what was happening. But a statute restricting detainee transfers says that lawmakers must be told 30 days beforehand.
The news of the prisoner exchange, and the Obama administrations failure to comply with the 30-day notice statute, set off a legal and political uproar and an investigation by the House Armed Services Committee. On Thursday, the committees Republican members will make public a report, obtained by The New York Times, that sheds new light on the administrations secret maneuvers before the swap and portrays the deal as both reckless and illegal.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/us/politics/house-republicans-denounce-obamas-handling-of-prisoner-exchange.html
lark
(23,123 posts)House Republicans ban the breathing of air because that's what Obama does.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)that this president has ever done, that these knuckle walking assholes have not denounced?
COLGATE4
(14,732 posts)made to his adoring audience of grade-school dropouts in S.C. 2 days ago. "Never let a good criticism of President Obama go to waste." (Attributed to Rinse Penis)
louis-t
(23,295 posts)Has a nice ring to it. Could be 'ass hole', could be Adolph Hitler.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,761 posts)They claim he should be using a four-in-hand instead of a Windsor knot, which they insist only aids and abets ISIS.
George II
(67,782 posts)turbinetree
(24,703 posts)they are just grand standing right wing hypocrites------------------these people are jerks, they will have a love fest of this in the coming four days when all of these chicken hawks and draft dodgers are going to get on stage, and scream and yell about this...................................
Someone should ask them if they know anything about Tora Bora, if they can connect the dots as to why this young man was over there based on a formula of out right incompetence from a right wing christian jerk by the name of George W Bush, and his criminal enterprise--------------------if they can not figure that out then they all need to resign, they can't think out of that tin foil box
There party has perpetuated this fiasco, of fear and hate while running around saying they are the defenders---------------defenders of what..........................
You know what congratulation President Obama----------------------you saved that young man's life
Honk-----------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016
gelsdorf
(240 posts)Yupster
(14,308 posts)But there is a law that says congress has to be notified 30 days before moving someone from Gitmo.
The President purposely violated that law.
I will stand against any president purposely breaking the law.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Screw them.
Yupster
(14,308 posts)but I'll still stand my ground that the president should not break the law.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Show everyone just how much they love our troops.
Yupster
(14,308 posts)I bet it would make them more careful about breaking their oaths. It seems like each president decides he is an emperor and breaks whichever laws he doesn't like. Obama's worst to me was making recess appointments when the senate wasn't in recess. That's hardly an important issue, especially compared to Bush, but he did it with absolute impunity, just breaking the law with a shrug. But what happens to him? The Supreme Court votes 9-0 that he violated the Constitution, and he shrugs and moves on.
I worry for out system when presidents just break the law at their whim and nothing happens to them.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)Your getting into RW loony land on this.
yellowcanine
(35,699 posts)Prisoner exchanges is clearly within the jurisdiction of the CIC. The 30 day requirement would appear to be an unConstitutional constraint on the President being able to negotiate a prisoner exchange as CIC. You can be sure if G.W. Bush had done it the Republicans would have had no problem with it.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)underpants
(182,843 posts)I am not saying that this will be any vindication for Bergdahl but the whole story is very complicated. He shouldn't have walked off but the details of situation will grey the black/white issue as it has been presented.
LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)Sunlei
(22,651 posts)blackspade
(10,056 posts)They would have left Bergdahl over there to rot or be executed for their own political ambitions.
Obama did the right thing, rescue one of our own.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,013 posts)blackspade
(10,056 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,013 posts)Midnight Writer
(21,770 posts)Hell no, they would denounce him for not doing enough to protect our soldier, and Bergdahl would be a Republican hero and talking point.